פירוש על יחזקאל 27:1

on the seaport [Heb. מְבוֹאֹת יָם, lit. by the entrance of the sea.] By the port where the ships come up to the wall and the gates. Many large cities are situated by the sea, but they are not a [good] place for a port, and the ships cannot approach them.

מְבוֹאֹת יָם is port in Old French, seaport.

trafficker of the peoples So was their custom: the merchants who came there this one from the north, that one from the south were not allowed to conduct commerce with one another. Rather, the inhabitants of the city would purchase from this one and sell to that one.

you said, I am the perfection of beauty Until now, all [were] saying about Jerusalem (Lam. 2:15): “the perfection of beauty”; (ibid.) “the joy of all the earth.” Now you boast, saying, “I am the perfection of beauty,” the ultimate extreme of beauty is incorporated in me.

your builders [Heb. בֹּנַיִךּ,] your architects, from the word בִּנְיָן, building.

junipers from Senir Since it was built on the sea and was destroyed by the sea, the prophet compares it to a superior ship whose cargo in its hold was too heavy for it, and which sank by the east wind.

all the planks the planks from which the ship was made.

cedars from Lebanon the name of the forest where the cedars are prevalent.

a mast [Heb. תֹּרֶן.] This is the tall, upright pole that is thrust into the ship, upon which they hang the sail, which is called voile in French. Also, there are holes at its top, through which is drawn the rope by which they pull the ship. [“Pole” is] mast in Old French.

oaks [Heb. אַלוֹנִים,] a kind of tree that does not produce fruit, chesne in Old French.

your oars [Heb. מִשּׁוֹטָיִם.] They are the boards that are wide at the end, with which they guide the ship, rames in French.

your rudder [Heb. קַרְשֵּׁך, lit. your board.] This is the wide board at the second end of the ship, opposite the mast at the other end, with which they steer the ship in all directions and direct it on its course, and the captain holds it. In the language of the Mishnah (B. B. 91a) קְבַרְנִיט, and in French gouvernail, rudder.

they made of ivory inlaid in cypresses [Heb. שֵּׁן בַּת-אֵשֻּׁרִים.] It is impossible for it to be of anything but wood, and this is בּתאשּׁרים, as if it were one word, an expression of (Isa 41: 19): “firs and cypresses (וּתְאַשּׁוּר).” Both of them, Jonathan rendered אֶשּׁכְּרוֹעִן. He compares the rudder of Tyre to a rudder of cypress inlaid with ivory [and] with nails for beauty and strength, for so did Jonathan render: boards of cypresses inlaid with ivory, בֵּיתחוֹפָאָה לְאִתְיָטְרוּן, so that its cover should not fall. However, Jonathan explained this rudder as applying to the city, concerning the boards of its gates.

Linen with embroidery linen cloth made with pictures and embroideries.

your sail [Heb. מִפְרָשֵּׂךּ,] that which is called voile in French, a sail.

to be to you for a staff to spread it on the pole of cedar and to raise it on the mast. נֵס is in the language of the Mishnah כְּלוֹנֵס, and in French perche, pole, rod.

was your covering as a tent and a roof over the entire surface of the ship.

were your oarsmen [Heb. שָּׁטִים,] those who hold your oars to guide you.

your mariners those who hold the rudder to direct and straighten the ship.

The elders of Gebal [who were] skillful builders, as it is said (I Kings 5:32): “and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites.”

who repaired your cracks [Heb. מַחַזִיקִי, lit. strengthen,] repaired your cracks so that no water should enter them, apiye[ce] tans ta crevaze in Old French, repairing your crack.

all the ships of the sea and their mariners [Heb. וּמַלָחֵיהֶם,] their sailors.

were within you They were around you to sail to the distant countries to bring the merchandise into your midst.

to guarantee your necessities [Heb. לַעֲרֹב מַעֲרָבֵךּ,] an expression of guaranteeing. These are all a person’s necessities, by which he lives; and his money is his guarantee and his salvation for his lifetime, garantie in French.

The children of Arvad and your army [Heb. וְחֵילֵךּ,] the rest of the army of people who dwell within you.

and Gammadim Jonathan rendered: and also Cappadocians. I heard in the name of Rabbi Menachem that because they dive into the sea as far as the deep and estimate (גֹמְדֵי) the cubits of its depth, they are called Gammadim. Others explain that they are dwarfs and fit into the measure of a cubit.

their quivers [Heb. שִּׁלֻטֵיהֶם,] These are the quivers in which they would put arrows, like (Jer. 51:11): “Polish the arrows, fill the quivers (הַשְּׁלָטִים),” cuyvrin[e] in Old French, quivers.

they heaped [Heb. תִּלוּ,] many heaps upon heaps (תִּלֵי תִּלִים).

Tarshish a sea named Tarshish.

with the multitude of all wealth that was in your midst. The merchants were confident that they would find in you the merchandise fit for them.

your aid [Heb. עִזְבוֹנָיִךּ,] your strength and your aid, like (Neh. 3:8): “and they strengthened Jerusalem to the... wall,” and a person’s money is his strength. which sets him up on his feet.

with living people male and female slaves to sell.

your place [Heb. יָדִךּ, lit. your hand,] your place.

horns, ivory, and peacocks horns of ibexes, bones of elephants, and peacocks, birds called paon in French.

brought you as a gift [Heb. הֵשִּׁיבוּ אֶשְּׁכָּרֵךּ,] brought your gift.

Aram was your merchant [dealing] with the precious stones mentioned in the verse, and “purple cloth, embroidery, and fine linen.”

because of the multitude of your works because they knew that your princes and dignitaries accumulate many works of beauty and glory for [use as] ornaments

with carbuncle [Heb. שְּׁנֹפֶךּ,] e c(h)arbuncle in Old French.

with wheat of Minnith the name of a place that produced wheat of high quality, like (Jud. 11: 33): “until you come to Minnith.” Midrash Aggadah (source unknown) [explains it as] good, thick wheat kernels, which are sold by number. Jonathan renders: בִּחִטֵי רִיחוּשּׁ expression for a gathering of many numbers, troche in Old French, bundle, bunch. A similar word appears in Pesikta [d’Rav Kahana, p. 184b]: “Just as the myrtle is crowded (רָחוּשּׁ) with leaves, so was Leah crowded with sons.” But I do not know what it [wheat of Minnith] is. In the name of Rabbi Simon, I heard that he found in a Bible with a Jerusalem Targum בְּחִטֵי מִנִיתוּפַנַג rendered: בְּחוּשְּׁלָא וְקֲלְמָא. Now, שַּׁעֲרֵי דְחוּשְּׁלָא, which is found in the Talmud (Yoma 79a), is explained as: peeled barley. I say, however, that “Minnith” is an expression of portions (מָנוֹת), prepared food. Even according to its vocalization with a “dagesh,” Jonathan is wont to translate a word sometimes according to its apparent meaning and sometimes according to its midrashic meaning. So did he render (below 39:16): “And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah (הֲמוֹנָה).” Although we punctuate the name הֲמוֹנָה without a “mappiq hey” (הֱמוֹנָה), [with a “mappiq hey” (pronounced) הֲמוֹנָה would mean “her multitude” with a silent “hey” it means simply “a multitude.”] Jonathan paraphrases: And also there, the slain of the city whose multitude is great will be cast.

balsam trees [Heb. פַנַג.] I saw in the book of Joseph the priest (Josiphon vol. 1 p.155 ch. 36 Flusser): The balsam tree is “pannag,” and they were found in Jericho, and because of the fragrant scent, it [the city] is called Jericho [יְרִיחוֹ from רֵיחַ, scent], balsme in Old French.

with white wine [Heb. בְּיֵין חֶלְבּוֹן,] cooked white wine, and Menachem (p. 89) connects it with (Ps. 147:14): “the best (חֵלֶב) of the wheat,” an expression of goodness

and white wool [Heb. צָחֹר.] [Jonathan renders:] “fine white covered wool.” On the day the lamb is born, and its mother cleanses it by licking it, they make a cover and wrap it around it with clasps so that that its wool be clean.

צָחֹר means white, like (Jud. 5:10): “white (צִרוֹרוֹת) donkeys.

Vedan and Javan They are states.

spun silk [Heb. מְאוּזָל,] spun silk thread.

iron wrought into ingots [Heb. עָשּׁוֹת,] made like ingots (עֲשָּׁשִּׁיוֹת) mas(s)es or mas(s)iz in Old French, ingots, massive, and that is iron of Cush.

in precious raiments for chariots [lit. in raiments of freedom for riding, translated according to the Targum as] in precious raiments for chariots.

with lambs [Heb. בְכָרִים,] lambs. Jonathan renders: with cattle, and so too did he render (II Kings 3: 4): “one hundred thousand bulls,” (כָּרִים) of Mesha, king of Moab.

Assyria and Media [Heb. אַשּׁוּר כִּלְמַד.] Jonathan renders: the states of Assyria and Media.

with adornments [Heb. בְּמַכְלֻלִים,] with things that are for adornment (מכלול), paramenz in Old French, adornments, jewelry, and what are the adornments? Wraps of embroidered blue cloth.

and with treasures kept in chests With beautiful adornments that are kept in chests called escrin in Old French, (ecrin in modern French). They are covered with leather and decorated for beauty with sorts of nails forming rows and pictures, and they are called קַמְטְרַיָא in Aramaic and בְּרוֹמִים in Hebrew, and they are tied and bound with linen ropes for beauty.

and [enclosed in] myrtle wood Jonathan renders: myrtle wood. Those chests were placed in chests of myrtle wood, and they would bring them into the outer chests and the chest within them, and so too, the ornaments that were inside the chests; everything all together for merchandising. This is the meaning of the wording in brief: and with treasures [kept] in chests, tied with ropes and [enclosed in] cedar wood, for the בְּרוֹמִים are the chests, and they were tied with ropes and placed in chests of myrtle, which is a species of cedar. And the adornments that were inside the chests, Jonathan calls וְכוּשּׁפִּין דְאַרְזָא בְּאִימְלִין דִּי זָהְרָיִתָא adornments that require good watching (זְהִירוּת), [i.e.,] דְמֲחֲתִין בְּקוֹמְטְרִין that were placed in chests. And the word מִגְדָּל in the Targum is like what we learn: a box and a chest (מִגְדָּל) schafreite in Middle High German, clothes chest, cupboard. [In some editions] armaise in Old French.

Ships...your plains [Heb. שָּׁרוֹתַיִךּ.] They were to you as a plain and a flat terrain. Just as the flat terrain is a paved road, upon which to bring merchandise to a city situated on dry land, the ships of Tarshish were for you instead of them (sic) as a highway for bringing your merchandise into your midst.

your plains [Heb. שָּׁרוֹתַיִךּ,] an expression for Sharon and flat terrain. A similar instance is (Jer. 5:10): “Ascend upon its rows בְּשָׁרוֹתֶיהָ.”

and you were filled and you became very heavy They brought a great burden into your midst and made your load too heavy.

In the abundant waters, your oarsmen brought you After the manner of the large ships, which they send into the midst of the sea. And since you are filled and are too heavy, the east wind will come and shatter you in the heart of the seas. As regar ds the comparison of the city: since you were filled with wealth, your heart became haughty, and retribution will befall you.

the neighboring districts [Heb. מִגְרשּׁוֹת,] like (Num. 35:2): “and open land (וּמִגְרָשּׁ) for the cities.”

they will stand upon the land What use have we anymore with ships? Where shall we take our wares from now on?

they will wallow [Heb. יִתְפַלָשּׁוּ,] they will roll.

And they will lift up over you with their wailing [Heb. בְּנִיהֶם,] with their wailing.

“as Dummah” [Heb. כְּדֻמָּה.] This was the name of the heads of Edom, as the matter is stated (Isa. 21: 11): “The harsh prophecy about Dumah (דּוּמָה).” Jonathan renders: There is none like (דָמֵי) as one of her likeness (כַּדוֹמָה).

When your merchandise came out, etc. All this they will lament over you in their lamentation.

their faces were angry [Heb. רָעֲמוּ פָּנִים,] angry faces, and so (I Sam. 1:6): “in order to make her complain (הַרְעִימָהּ),” and so every expression of complaint is called תּוּרְעֲמָתָא.

hissed [Heb. שָּׁרְקוּ,] sibler in old French, to whistle. So do people whistle about a thing that has disappeared.